


Why Nico di Angelo loves Jason Grace (and you should too)

by iwaois



Category: The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: M/M, Mostly Platonic, good pal jason
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-08
Updated: 2015-04-08
Packaged: 2018-03-21 21:16:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3705043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iwaois/pseuds/iwaois
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nico tries to explain the miracle which is the blonde Son of Jupiter in 13 arguments.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Why Nico di Angelo loves Jason Grace (and you should too)

Nico opened his eyes. Of course Jason was still right there, sleeping peacefully. Nico could feel him way before he opened his eyes, afterall. He could feel son of Jupiter's arms holding him gently, his breath messing Nico's hair, his sweet smell all over the sheets. With that, Nico flashbacked to last night.  
~It was raining heavily, and Nico felt lucky that Piper, Frank and Annabeth were the ones guarding the ship over the night. His room was even gloomier than usual, which was saying something.   
Nico closed his eyes again, afraid to fall back to sleep. Nightmares of Tartarus were haunting him for a while now. They got even worse after The House of Dad. Everything he saw down there, in Tartarus -from monsters and titans to visions of everyone he knew getting killed in the war-were coming back to him.   
He couldn't take it anymore. He got out of his bed, that for eternity damned bed where he suffered so much, and melted into the shadows of his wall, only to reappear in front of Jason's room. He knew it was a terrible idea, but he was cold, scared to death and desperate. And Jason was the one closest to him. Nico didn't trust him, no-he didn't trust anyone- but he knew Jason Grace was a nice person. And that meant he won't kick him out, or at least he'll do it gently.  
Nico rose his shaking hand and knocked on the hard wood door twice.   
He heard some noises, shuffling of sheets and something like a hand tapping on the wood, and then Jason's figure appeared on the door. He was wearing grey track pants and a white short sleeve T-shirt, his glasses on and barefoot, with a bad case of pillow hair. Once he saw the mighty Ghost King on his doorstep, shaking and teary eyed, Jason decided not to say anything and he just stepped to the side so Nico could get in, which he did, glancing at him thankfully. Jason smiled softly and shrugged. "Can't sleep?" He had asked the newcomer, walking back to his bed. Nico nodded, unsure of what to do now. His mission was find Jason-he didn't think this far ahead. Luckily, Jason took his glasses off and got into his bed, glancing up at Nico and patting the sheets next to him. "You coming?" He asked, obviously eager to get back to sleep.  
Completely in doubt and insecure, Nico walked over and got into Jason's bed. It smelled nice, and it was still warm from when Jason slept earlier that night.  
Jason scooped as far away from Nico as possible, knowing that he hated physical contact. But the blonde still added: "Okay, sleep tight. If you want to talk about it or cuddle it out, just say something, it's okay." With that he turned away on the other side, giving Nico some privacy.   
Nico, on the other hand, didn't feel a lot better at all. He reconsidered talking about it, as Jason suggested. No, it would only make him feel worse, and Jason was sleepy. Only one option left.  
"H-hold me?" The shaking boy whispered, almost to quiet to hear. He was very ashamed of himself now, and it will only get worse in the morning.~ But it's a price I'm willing to pay~, he realized as Jason turned around and pulled him into his arms. Nico felt like his own body was plotted against him as he snuggled his face into Jason's neck and wrapped one his arms around Superman's waist. He could feel Jason pressing him against himself and resting his head on top of Nico's, then his breathing slowed down. Nico tried to calm down as well. This was Jason, not Percy or anything. He'll live, just this once. Soon the Ghost King stopped shaking and drifted into dreamless sleep. ~  
Back in present time, the morning after, the rain stopped and the sun found it's way trough the clouds and trough the window, into the room and the bed. Nico noticed how wonderfully sun complimented Jason's bright blonde hair, making it shine. ~Gods, he's so blonde~ he thought . But he loved that about Jason, it looked good on him. Without even noticing, the young hero started to think about other things he liked about his only friend, besides his hair. After a while, he had a whole list in his head.

***  
1\. Jason's fighting style  
Even tough Jason was obviously trying to Greek himself up, Nico thought it was obvious how actually Roman his fighting style is. They were sparring constantly, to keep in form. Jason was bigger than him, but also incredibly fast. All those years at Camp Jupiter obviously paid off, he was an incredible swordsman. The SPQR tattoo on the Roman's wrist with an eagle and 12 black lines was somehow sticking out whenever Jason held his golden gladius. Nico liked to spar with him-Hades against Jupiter, Greek against Roman, black Stygian iron against shining Imperial gold. Jason was a worthy opponent, but that's not why Nico insisted they sparred so much. The look on his training pair's face was priceless. So determinant and concetrated, his lips curving into a tiny smile while his electric blue eyes sparkled. And maybe-just maybe- Jason would get hot enough to take his shirt off. Nico was crushing on Percy, sure, but it was hard to resist staring hopelessly into son of Jupiter's perfect torso. And not to drool.

2\. How much he cares for his friends   
It was no secret that Jason Grace loves his friends. Or people in general. He'd give his head for Annabeth, Frank, Hazel, Leo or anyone. Even Nico. Even Hedge. Even an innocent stranger. He'd do anything, as long as it'll make someone happy.   
Nico saw him bonding with Leo more and more since he came here. He heard that their friendship, just like Jason and Piper's relationship, was based of fake memories. But that didn't stop Jason, no. He still helped Leo out with the ship however he could, comforted him when Leo had breakdowns (which got more often since he got back from his little adventure Khione sent him to, Nico noticed) or simply hide in Leo's cabin and have guy time playing videogames. Sometimes they'd even invite Percy, Frank and him but he always skipped. Two reasons: he wasn't good with people and Percy was there. Jason would always give him a pleading look, but he would just look down and shake his head. Though the fact that Jason wanted him there really meant a lot to him. Maybe more than he was ready to admit.

3\. What good care Jason takes of himself  
Okay, Nico wasn't the only one that admired Jason for his determination to healthy living. Back in Camp Half Blood, he had bonded with some daughter of Demeter, and she got him thinking. Ever since Jason was known for his sudden love for vegetables, energy bars, fruits and cereals. And he kept to it. In the mess hall, whenever they ate, while everyone was eating their sausages and pizzas and spaghetti, Jason would crunch on a carrot, or full grain bread and jam, or a sandwich with tuna and salad.   
And he would exercise more than others, too. Whenever the ship landed for supplies, Jason was the first to grab his monster-proof headphones and go for a run or a walk. Sometimes he'd take Nico with him too, and they'd talk about how The Argo II. was big and grand, but still too small for nice, long walks. Or they would go to the beach, wearing sunglasses and no shoes, so they could roll up their pants and walk in the shallow waters. And pray to Poseidon not to kill them, of course. But it was worth it, because Jason would always buy organic ice cream for Nico and himself.

4\. His secret obsession with cats  
Not a lot of people knew this, actually nobody but Nico, but Jason was a cat person. Nico remembers one of those walks Jason took him to, because he was too tired to run, and they were touring some city on the coast. The name of the city? The son of Hades couldn't remember even if it was matter of life and death. But what happened there was what left a mark. They had just got Smoothies and were getting back to the ship, when Jason duddenly grabbed his hand. Nico's heart skipped a beat as he turned around and gave him a quizzical look. But Jason wasn't looking at him, he was staring in a corner of a dark alley, and then ran there, letting go of Nico's hand. Following behind him, he saw the allpowerful son of the main god kneeling down and cuddling a tiny ginger fured kitten who's right back leg was at a weird ankle. Nico smiled (which doesn't happen often, may you, but the sight was plain adorable) and kneeled down next him looking at the kitty. "It's cute." He said simply. Once Jason looked at him, he saw that Jason's usually happy blue eyes were filled with tears. "His leg is broken." He muttered out petting the cat's belly. It seemed awfully comfortable in his arms, and Nico couldn't blame it. Jason was very gentle and caring in general, and he seemed to really care about this little creature.   
"Let's name it Josh and take it home." The shorter boy sugguested, carefully putting a hand on his back. The kitten meowed, as if it was approving, and Jason gave Nico a big sloppy hug, squishing Josh between them. "Josh. I like it." He said into Nico's hair and got up, taking the little furball along. He suddenly stopped, almost slumping into his friend behind him. "Leo forbid animals on board." His big blue eyes widened.   
"Come on, we'll miss our own ship. We can hide him in your room." Nico said and grabbed Jason's hand, shadow traveling the trio back on the warship.  
This day will always be known as the day the Golden Boy Jason Grace broke the rules. And he never broke the rules, that's not something us Romans do. It must obviously be very important to him. Either that, or my brother is an excellent convincer.

5\. How he laughs  
Jason laughed a lot. It has stopped when Percy and Annabeth were... down there. But after they got out, he was happy again. To Jason it didn't matter that the world was ending, as long as everyone was together again.   
And his laugh. His white teeth (brush twice a day, Nico, and your teeth will be thankful!, he would always say) would show and his scar would curve up. And the sound was as if you were listening to the happiest sound you ever heard, but ten times more cheery. If happiness sounded, it would sound like Jason Grace's laugh. Because when he laughed, he did it from his heart. 

6\. How se looks  
Nico hates how people judge Jason for his looks. There was much more to Jason than his body. But, you must admit-Jason's body is pretty impressive.   
Nico loves how it's completely opposite than hisown (he was short, skinny, pale and unattractive), but it suits his perfectly. When he allows Jason to hug him (which isn't very often, but Jason is happy Nico let's him hug him at all, that's not something the gloomy boy did), his head is just at the level of the cross between the Roman's neck and his chest, and it's very comfortable. And when he wraps his arms around Nico, it feels actually nice. Plus, the former praetor had really nice arms. Muscular, but not buff. And to Nico, they were so big and warm, and in general, a safe place.  
Jason's eyes. They're the bluest blue Nico has ever seen. So electrifying. They shine when he's happy, plead when he's sad, and darken dangerously when he's angry (which, thankfully, wasn't that often). And when he looks at Nico when he comes in a desperate need of a friend, they're full of love and understanding, and the warmest blue possible.

7\. What a geek he secretly is  
Everybody, even Leo, his best friend,pictured Jason as a practical person, more of action than words. But he loved words, and only Nico knows. Jason isn't that smart, not like Annabeth, but he's a geek. He likes fantasy books and sci-fi, and Star Trek and Sherlock Holmes. He also needs reading glasses, and has a pair of those nerdy, big framed kind. Whenever Jason had to guard the ship during night, he'd bring his book, a flashlight and his glasses, only to throw his legs over the edge of the ship and read. Nico would often sneak out to watch him, because come on. If Jason Grace with nerdy glasses and a book in his lap isn't the sweetest thing you ever seen, you're clearly a nutshell. Besides, he liked watching how his eyes would change trough the book. How they'd widen on a tense scene, or fill with water when one of the characters died. How he'd gasp when something bad would happen, and giggle quietly when the main couple kissed. Nico was amazed how can something like a book interest him so deeply. But he didn't mind, not even when Jason started quoting his characters after he found out Nico knows about his dirty little geek secret. The blonde didn't mind that he knew, not at all. Afterall, wasn't he the one keeping a big secret as well?

8\. Singing   
Reading the title, you might have got the illusion that our favorite air bender has a great singing voice. WRONG. He has a terrible singing voice and he knows it. Nico admires how that never stopped him. Whenever you were around Jason, he'd always hum something or tap his fingers on the surface, or sing something to himself. The only place where he got loud was in the shower. Not that Nico was sitting outside the door to hear his happy voice sing out lyrics while he was showering... Not every time.

9\. He could cook  
Yes, Jason Grace was a chef. He learnt to cook in New Rome. Why Frank didn't was probably because Jason has been there forever and Frank wasn't.   
His cooking skills got him jealous looks from girls (none of us can actually cook) , and usually mean comments from the guys (Leo and Percy) about how girlie that is. They even started calling him Jason Gayce, but he laughed it off and tell them not to mess with gays (for one he knew and loved, of course) otherwise no more cookies. Then they would shut up. His cookies were heavenly.  
He would usually include Piper into his cooking sprees, but she was always only his assistant, like passing him salt or cutting the veggies.  
Occasionally Jason would get real hot for cooking, and those days the crew would only eat his specialities, and he'd always wear an apron. Super sexy.

10\. Little excuses he makes up  
Those little excuses he made up to get alone with him were probably what Nico loved the most. When Jason got lonely, he'd always look for the son of Hades and drag him to his cabin 'because Josh misses him (a lie, Josh doesn't like him very much)' or 'so you can help me make my bed(nonsense, Jason was perfectly capable of making his own bed)'. But Nico doesn't mind spending alone time with him. And he doesn't know why. The two of them usually ended up drinking orange juice and playing Scrabble on the floor. Nico was surprisingly good at the game, though Jason would never admit.  
Sometimes they actually would play with Josh (his leg has healed under Jason's constant care), wiggle him around or just pet him, or watch him watch tv.   
Sometimes Jason is just sad and needs a hug, and he calls Nico instead of Piper, because Nico knows what it's like to be sad. Plus, just like with Piper, they always end up cuddling on his bed and watching sci-fi movies (Nico didn't like them that much, but for Jason he was ready to sacrifice).

11\. Doctor Who nights  
Jason was such a Whovian. Once Nico asked him "Doctor what?" , Jason had gasped and promised him he'll catch him up on the series. So, on their next stop, the ship was an entire Doctor Who series heavier, every episode ever made on DVD. Every now and then, Nico would find Josh meowing in front of his door with a piece of paper around his neck, that said ~I'll wait for you at 8~. Since nobody could see Josh, Nico had to hide him, but just until 8.  
At 8 weak meow can be heard in front of Jason's door, and when he openes them he finds a tiny kitten, two bags of popcorn and his companion.  
They would always be in their pajamas (Jason with glasses, he needed them for tv too), because it was just more comfortable. And Nico always brought popcorn, butter for himself and no butter for Jason (butter isn't very healthy). Josh would always curl up at their feet and purr. The 10th doctor was Jason's favorite, while Nico preferred 11 and the Ponds. Both boys enjoyed those nights troughly, because they bonded over their favorite tv show, and they got to eat as many popcorn as they wished, and it was just so cozy.  
Every once in a while, Nico would let Jason touch him, to bury his face in Nico's side whenever a Weeping Angels scene came (Jason was terrified of those), only to get a benefit of burying hisown face at Jason's side whenever a scene with Silence monsters came (can't a man have a fear?? They reminded him of the tortured souls of the Underworld!).   
Jason would, exactly one and a half episode after midnight, feel Nico's sleeping head plump against his shoulder. So he would always move it to his lap, to make the sleeping demigod more comfortable, and continue to watch till late at night, when he would carry Nico in his room (avoiding the patrol).  
Both boys would always pretend nothing happened the next morning

12\. How he always knows what to do to make Nico feel better  
Whether just to hold him and say "I'm here', or leave him alone, or make him spar until he's dead meat, Jason knew his comfort basics.   
Once, Nico had an emotional breakdown (again) from being around a certain son of Poseidon, and he came to Jason's cabin, not really sure how, like his legs just carried him there. Once he was inside, Jason simply asked "Him again?" and pulled out a chess set from his drawer. Nico narrowed his eyes. "Chess? That's your brilliant idea?" he had asked as Jason was setting the figures on the floor and motioning Nico to come down. Once he looked up in the son of Hades, Nico could really see that this made perfect sense to him. Jason had said back then: "Yes, chess. It requires thinking. Thinking about chess means no thinking about secret crushes. Come on." After that, it made sense to Nico too. And so they played chess.  
Another time, this Christmas to be exact, the Seven decided to all sleep in the same room, under the covers, together by the fire (Frank rushed to take the place as far away from fire as possible), and Nico couldn't avoid. The nightmare got even worse when Jackson decided to take the spot next between him and Annabeth, just perfect so Nico could watch them be happy and in love. And he couldn't leave without it seeming he had problems with Percy, which is incredibly rude. Luckily, Jason, seeing the situation, plopped down on Nico's other side (even though a very disappointed Piper was at the other corner, next to Annabeth), and Nico relaxed a bit. He turned around innocently, facing the son of Jupiter instead, and they started chatting about everything and nothing. When it was sleep time, Percy and Annabeth were making out, and the Greek boy was awkward as hell. He thought Jason was asleep, but after he felt a hand gripping his, he knew it was Jason. With that Nico fell asleep much easier.

13\. Everything.   
This is pretty much self explaining.   
He loved how Jason bit his lip when he was hesitating.  
He loved how Jason's eyebrows furrowed when he was confused.  
He loved how Jason was amazing at chess, yet sucked at Scrabble.  
He loved how Jason would tense up whenever someone on board mentioned cats, worried they discovered Josh.  
He loved how Jason was a dreamer, how he wanted to finish college and get a job.   
He loved how Jason loved kids and wanted 10 babies someday.   
He loved how eager Jason was to learn how to drive.  
He loved how Jason couldn't swim.  
He loved how Jason wasn't a morning person, and how he was incredibly cuddly in the morning.  
He loved how responsible Jason is.  
He loved Jason's worn out jeans and sneakers, and his Camp Jupiter t-shirts.   
He loved how Jason sometimes talked in his sleep.  
He loved how Jason would get incredibly sassy when he had a lot of chocolate (Nico may or may have not hid chocolate in his room all the time because he found it funny)  
Nico loved everything about Jason Grace.  
***  
Back in present, The Ghost King's train of thought was suddenly interrupt with Jason's waking up. He opened his eyes and looked at Nico strangely, the boy never stays until the morning. But Jason only smiled and hugged him tighter, kissing the top of his head.  
And Nico was happy. Jason was all he could ever wish for.


End file.
